494 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
country along the Orange River, but extends further south than 
P. verticalis. Dr. Edwin Atherstone tells us that it is found near 
Kingwilliamstown, and in the country round Colesberg it is plentiful. 
We found it abundant in a limited tract of country near Nel’s 
Poort, Beaufort. It seemed to keep in small parties of four or five 
individuals and feed on small grass seeds. It sometimes congregates 
in flocks of several hundreds and builds on the ground, under the 
shelter of a tuft of grass or some dwarf shrub. Mr. T. Ayres gives 
the following note on the species in the Transvaal :—“‘I found two 
nests of this bird, one in March, the other in April; each nest 
contained only two eggs, which, in one instance, were somewhat 
incubated. One of these nests I found at Mamusa, on the Hartz 
River, the other near Bloemhoff, on a tributary of the Vaal River. 
The nest of this species is placed on the ground under shelter of a 
clump of weed or grass. It is roughly constructed of coarse grass, 
slightly lined with fine roots; both the nests which I found were 
situated within twenty yards of water. The egg is white, much 
spotted with light sepia-brown.”’ According to Mr. Andersson it 
is “not uncommon in Damara and Great Namaqua Land, where it 
occurs in small flocks during the rainy season. Its habits are similar 
to those of P. verticalis.” 
Head, above, black-brown; back ferruginous, dashed with dark 
brown, beneath black; quills and tail black-brown, the two centre 
feathers of the latter edged and tipped with light rufous. Length 
5”; wing, 3’ 2'”; tail, 2’°2’’. Mr. Andersson states that the bill 
is light horn colour, darkest above; the legs and toes light flesh 
colour. 
Fig. Smith, Ill. Zool. 8. Afr. Aves, pl. 24. 
498. Crrrnitaupa capensis (Bodd.) Cape Long-billed Lark. 
Certhilauda africana, Layard, B. 8. Afr, p. 217. 
In the Long-billed Larks the culmen or ridge of the upper 
mandible is equal to, and in most cases longer than, the middle toe 
and claw. Such is the case with the three long-billed genera of 
Alaudide found in South Africa, and the four genera here referred 
to are easily distinguished ; for instance, any of the species of 
Certhilauda can be recognized at a glance by their long and 
perfectly straight hind claw. 
pi. 
